1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to space saving trash compactors and bailers, and in particular to a compactor/bailer combination sharing a common ram.
2. Prior Art
In the offshore environment, environmental concerns have lead to efforts to recycle materials instead of land filling. However, an additional driving concern in the offshore environment is the efficient utilization of space. Space is at a premium in this environment, and equipment is designed to conserve space yet still efficiently perform the task. For these reasons, space efficient compaction systems have become prevalent offshore. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,121 to Zimmer, hereby incorporated by reference. As disclosed, this design utilizes a ram which is moveable both vertically to compress as well as horizontally to allow access to the crushed materials. The ram is horizontally movable on tracks which extend outwardly from the upper edge of the compactor container.
A particular type of recyclable material prevalent in the offshore environment is cardboard boxes and similar paper type storage containers and packaging products. For recycling purposes, it is more efficient to separate such cardboard materials from other materials at the offshore location of use, rather than shipping unseparated materials for later processing. Bailing cardboard materials at the offshore location also keeps such materials secure from being blown off location by wind or other environmental factors. Cardboard packaging materials are usually compressed and wrapped for storage for later disposal or recycling in a bailer, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,873 to Zimmer, hereby incorporated by reference. Both a compactor and bailer are desired equipment, however, both take up valuable space. It is desired to utilize both in a space saving configuration.